Greer, C. (2013Ϳ Cƌiŵe aŶd Media: UŶdeƌstaŶdiŶg the CoŶŶeĐtioŶs iŶ C. Hale, K. HaLJǁaƌd, A. Wahadin and E. Wincup (eds.) Criminology, third edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp25 (ISBN: 978-0-19-927036-1). Crime and media: understanding the connections Chris Greer INTRODUCTION The contemporary era – whether we term it the information society, the network society, the image world, postmodernity, or late modernity – is a fundamentally mediatised era. It is also an era in which high crime rates and high levels of concern about crime have become accepted as Ŷoƌŵal. The ƌapid aŶd ƌeleŶtless deǀelopŵeŶt of iŶfoƌŵatioŶ and communication technologies (ICTs) over the past one hundred years has shaped the modern age, transforming the ƌelatioŶs ďetǁeeŶ spaĐe, tiŵe aŶd ideŶtitLJ. Wheƌe oŶĐe Ŷeǁs used to tƌaǀel ďLJ ship, it now hurtles across the globe at light speed and is available 24 hours-a-day at the push of a button. Where once cultures used to be more or less distinguishable in national or geographical terms, they now mix, intermingle and converge in a constant global exchange of information. Where once a sense of community and belonging was derived primarily from established identities and local traditions, it may now also be found, and lost, in a virtual world of shared values, meanings and interpretations. In short, the media are not only inseparable from contemporary social life; they are, for many, its defiŶiŶg ĐhaƌaĐteƌistiĐ. UŶdeƌstaŶdiŶg the connections between crime and the media is central to understanding the cultural place that crime and media occupy in our social world. This chapter is an introduction to the investigation of crime and media. My main aim is to present a summary of major themes and debates which have shaped the research agenda, but I also want to sharpen the focus of investigation on some less well rehearsed issues such as the changing global communications marketplace, the development of new media technologies, and the significance of these for understanding the connections between crime and media. The chapter is divided into four main seĐtioŶs. The fiƌst offers some background information and